Terminology Within This Field
The language and terms used within the addiction treatment community is evolving. For example, some schools continue to use traditional terminology by offering degrees in “substance abuse counseling,” while others have renamed their programs as “substance use counseling.” We use a combination of familiar and newer terms to bridge the gap between past and present.
changes in terminology
How Much Money Do People Make With A Bachelor’s Degree In Addiction/substance Abuse
With a bachelor’s degree in Addiction/Substance Abuse, you have several career options. The most popular and in-demand options are working as a substance abuse counselor or as an addiction social worker.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that substance abuse counselors earn a median salary of $43,300. The median salary for social workers is $47,980. Both of these careers are growing faster or much faster than average. Over the next ten years substance abuse counselors will be in higher and higher demand. The field is projected to grow at a rate of 23% which means that the need for social workers will increase by 16%.
Careers in the addiction field are challenging, meaningful, and rewarding. Already in high demand, the need for substance abuse professionals is only expected to grow in the years to come.
What Kind Of Addiction/substance Abuse Degree Should You Get
A bachelor’s degree in Addiction/Substance Abuse will prepare you for most careers in the prevention and treatment of addiction. Some programs offer specializations or tracks in either treatment or prevention. Other programs allow you to customize your degree based on your individual career goals.
You can complete these programs on campus or online. While some students prefer face-to-face instruction, online courses offer flexibility and convenience. If you’re interested in pursuing your degree online, check out our list of the Best Online Addictions and Recovery degrees.
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Career Options For Addiction Counseling Graduates
Addiction counselors work in a variety of settings, including treatment centers, rehabilitation facilities, and social service agencies. They help people struggling with addiction to overcome their challenges and lead healthy, productive lives.
Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors work with patients who suffer from addiction and help them make changes to their lifestyle in order to recover. In this role, you would provide individual and group counseling, develop treatment plans, and offer support to patients as they work to overcome addiction. You would also keep records of patients progress and collaborate with other members of the treatment team, which may include doctors, nurses, and social workers.
Health Educator
Health educators teach people about healthy lifestyles and help them make choices that promote wellness. They work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, community centers, and businesses. Health educators typically have a bachelors degree in health education, public health, or a related field. Some states have certification programs for health educators, and many employers prefer to hire certified health educators.
Prevention Specialist
Outreach Coordinator
Correctional Program Therapist
Schools In Michigan Offering Addiction Counseling Or Substance Abuse Programs
Michigan has one of the top Substance Abuse Counseling Schools in the country. The University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, MI is considered one of the top 25 regional universities in the Midwest. This is according to the U.S News and World Report. At Detroit Mercy, they offer a Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling, including a licensure as a Professional Counselor program.
Other schools offering Addiction Counseling in Michigan include:
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Substance Abuse Counseling Careers
Earning a master’s in substance abuse counseling opens the door to careers helping people overcome addiction challenges and achieve independence. Some graduates transition directly into substance abuse counseling work, while others branch off into other mental health roles, like rehabilitation counseling or social work.
The following list touches on some career choices applicable to substance abuse counseling graduates, though there are many other career options also available.
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| Median Annual Salary: $35,950 | Projected Job Growth: 10% |
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Rehabilitation counselors help people with mental, developmental, and physical challenges to achieve independence. Like most counselors, a rehabilitation counselor needs a master’s degree and must obtain professional counseling licensure to work independently. Certifications can also help counselors specialize in rehabilitation work.
Rehabilitation counselors work with people who have experienced personal setbacks, injuries, disabilities, or medical issues, which can sometimes be related to drug and alcohol abuse. This environment requires workers with patience, empathy, and strong interpersonal skills.
Choosing A Great Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling School For Your Associate Degree
The substance abuse/addiction counseling associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
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Best 20 Masters In Addiction Studies Programs In 2022
Addiction is a critical epidemic across the country. The need for compassionate, dedicated counselors to treat those who suffer from drug addiction and alcoholism is expected to increase 25% by 2029. A masters degree in addiction studies prepares students to become certified counselors and potentially seek advancement in research opportunities. The average pay in this field is $46,240 per year.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Masters In Addiction Counseling Online
A full-time masters program may take 2-3 years. The length of the practicum or internship requirements can greatly influence the length of a program.
Keep in mind that earning more hours during your substance abuse counselor schooling may reduce the number of licensure hours that you have to acquire post-graduation.
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The Best Online Masters In Substance Abuse Counseling Programs
In all our school rankings and recommendations, we work for objectivity and balance. We carefully research and compile each ranking list, and as stated in our advertising disclosure, we do NOT permit financial incentives to influence rankings. Our articles never promote or disregard a school for financial gain.
If you have questions about our ranking methodology, please feel free to connect with our staff through contact page.
We thank you for your readership and trust.
How To Become A Substance Abuse Counselor
People with substance abuse disorders face many struggles, and they depend on the involvement of qualified, educated professionals to help them overcome their addictions.
The path to becoming a licensed addictions counselor usually involves earning a masters degree. You need to draw on your graduate education time and again as you work with addicted people and their loved ones.
To become an addiction counselor:
These requirements can vary by state, and some states require only a bachelors degree in addiction counseling , and work experience.
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What Are The Highest
Graduates who can advance to the role of social and community service manager can earn the highest salaries. According to the BLS, these professionals earned a median annual wage of $69,600 as of May 2020. Keep in mind that these positions require significant work experience in addition to a relevant bachelor’s degree.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Degree In Counseling
The length of time it takes to earn your degree in drug counseling depends on the number of credits you take at a given time coupled with the degree type you select. For the examples below, we will presume full-time matriculation at an accredited college or university for ease of example. Both on-site and online drug counseling programs are available from a wide range of colleges across the country.
- Bachelors Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling: 4-years to earn a bachelors degree in substance abuse counseling including general education courses and core curriculum in counseling.
- Masters Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling: 1-2 years to earn a masters degree in substance abuse counseling after successfully completing all prerequisite classes.
- Doctorate Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling: 1-2 years to earn a PhD or Doctorate in substance abuse counseling after completion of all lower-level prerequisite classes.
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Courses In Addiction Counseling
Addiction counseling degree-seekers take courses in subjects including counseling, addiction, and treatment planning. This interdisciplinary degree teaches a broad understanding of counseling techniques for individuals with addiction in different settings.
Some schools offer specialized elective classes for students to explore their interests. These include courses in theory of personality, drug policies in the United States, and community resources in mental health.
See below for a few courses students may take earning their addiction counseling degree online. Learners may not find these exact classes at every school. Rather, the selected descriptions represent a sample curriculum.
Associate Degree In Addiction Counseling
Floridians who want to get an early start on a career in mental health can launch into addictions counseling with a CAC license. This license only requires a high school diploma or the equivalent, but an associate addiction counseling degree will take them much farther. These days, community colleges have degree programs dedicated to addressing the addiction crisis in their area. This specialized degree will certainly help graduates land better jobs with better pay than if they only had a high school diploma.
An associate addiction counseling degree is also a smart move for those who aspire to higher licensing levels. The two-year degree will provide the core college curriculum they need to move into a four-year college or Florida university. On top of that, these programs provide a firm foundation in psychology and addictions counseling that will come in handy on the job. Finally, since community college credits are much cheaper than those in four-year schools, community college students will see a great savings in their first years.
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Online Phd Degree In Addiction Counseling
A PhD in Addiction Counseling is often combined with a larger field as a concentration. For example, a PhD in Addiction Psychology, a Doctor of Social Work in Addictions and Social Work, and PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling with specialization in addiction therapy are just some of the options. The coursework requirements vary by institution a typical course of study is about 72 credit hours and student can complete the requirements in four to five years of study, including their thesis and defense.
A PhD level of study opens career paths in policy, leadership, and education. PhDs are in demand as graduate faculty to teach undergraduate majors and graduate students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees.
A PhD can also provide opportunities for in depth research into substance abuse and treatment. Advanced research holds enormous potential with the use of information technology and the pace of medical advances and discoveries. A doctoral level degree opens pathways for academic policy, public policy, and leadership roles.
Why Should I Get My Bachelors In Addiction Or Substance Abuse Counseling Online
Most online addiction counseling degrees are provided at the baccalaureate level, although there are many certificates in addictions counseling or masters level online addictions counseling degree options for those who wish to further their education or specialize in a particular subspecialty of substance abuse counseling.
While most baccalaureate online substance abuse counseling degree programs provide the necessary education, most states also require those who hold an online degree in substance abuse counseling to meet preset licensing criteria set forth by the states licensing board officials.
Aspiring counselors enrolled in an on-campus or online addictions counseling degree program are trained to create & then implement treatment plans to help clients overcome an ongoing, out-of-control substance abuse addiction issue.
In addition, those counselors who wish to further their education will find there are online addiction counseling degrees offered at the post-baccalaureate or masters degree level. Most online degree in substance abuse counseling programs can be completed in two years or less.
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How Much Money Can I Make With A Bachelor’s In Addiction Counseling
According to the BLS, substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earned a median annual salary of $47,660 as of May 2020. Those working for the government earned the highest median annual wage at $54,070.
Salary potential depends on location, title, employer, and experience. The top 10% of earners in the field made a median annual salary of more than $78,700 as of May 2020, while the bottom 10% earned less than $30,590.
Masters In Addiction Studies Ranking Methodology
We ranked 20 schools that offer masters degrees in addiction studies and related degrees based on tuition, program credit length, and graduate-level student enrollment. Tuition rates and program lengths were gathered from each schools website. Tuition is an estimate based on average full-time enrollment of 12 credits per semester. It did not include variable factors such as housing or personal expenses. Graduate student enrollment was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics.
We sorted by lowest tuition, shortest program length, and highest graduate student population and assigned points to each school in each category. The breakdown of distribution is as follows: 40% tuition, 40% program length, 20% enrollment. The maximum possible points was 100.
We strive to be as accurate as possible in our data-gathering. If you work for a school listed above and notice an error in our data please reach out to us so we can make a correction.
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Bachelor’s Degree In Addiction Counseling
Those undergraduate students who earn a degree in a field related to addictions counseling can consider working toward licensure as a certified addiction professional. This is perhaps the optimal academic level at which to enter the field of addiction counseling. A bachelor’s degree allows students the time to fully explore a topic and to learn more about what they want from a career and how they would like to achieve that.
Students can use their bachelor’s degree to earn a CAP credential and then work for a few years in the field as a way to determine whether they would like to invest in a master’s degree, and which degree is best for them. Their bachelor’s degree and subsequent experience in the addiction counseling field should enable them to decide whether to pursue a master of social work, a master’s in addiction counseling, or a master’s degree in clinical psychology.
A Day In The Life Of A Substance Abuse Counselor
A substance abuse bachelors degree prepares graduates for rewarding careers helping those who are struggling with drug and alcohol addictions. Your job might be to work with individuals in a crisis situation at a hospital or a private clinic, or you may choose to meet regularly one-on-one or in a group setting throughout the recovery process.
Armed with a passion to help others and a non-judgemental approach, Substance Abuse Counselors assess and counsel individuals with substance use disorders , provide counseling to family members who are affected by SUDs, provide life skills training including stress management, relapse prevention, and relationship skills and prepare and lead outreach and other community interventions to prevent and remediate SUDs and their effects.
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Universities Offering Bachelors Degree In Addiction Counseling Online Degree Programs
Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.
Alvernia is a private Franciscan Roman Catholic university established by the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. It was a college at first, founded in 1958. It wasnt until 2008 that the institution gained university status.
Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, this campus has around 2,900 students among undergraduates, continuing education, and graduate students.
The Alvernia Golden Wolves teams compete at the NCAA Division III level in the Middle Atlantic Conferences and the Eastern College Athletic Conference with eight men and 10 women varsity sports teams.
- Bachelors in Addictions and Mental Health Treatment
Alvernia University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Bluefield College is a private Baptist liberal arts college located in Bluefield, Virginia. Established in 1922, this college currently has 900 students enrolled and a campus located on 82 acres in Bluefield. On the other hand, and on its northern side, there is the East River Mountain.
Bluefield´s athletes, nicknamed the Rams, compete in the Mid-South Conference in football. For the remaining 13 sports the school offers, they compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.
- Bachelors in Human Services Substance Abuse Counseling
- Bachelors in Alcohol and Drug Counseling
Additional Online Student Fees
Just like on-campus students, online learners must buy supplies and books. They may also need to buy a new computer or upgrade their internet. Some schools charge technology fees to cover tech support and virtual classroom platforms.
Substance abuse counseling students may need to pay for extra software to practice entering client data. Degree-seekers should also budget for fees for background checks and certification exams.
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How Much Will My Education Cost
The cost of bachelors degree programs varies depending upon the type of institution you attend. According to College Boards Trends in College Pricing 2021-22, the average annual tuition cost for a four-year, public institution runs around $10,740 for in-state tuition and $27,560 for out-of-state tuition.
Masters degree programs at in-state accredited public institutions cost an average of $66,340 in 2022 says EducationData.org.
Attending an accredited school may allow you to apply for financial aid, whether the school you select is a traditional classroom or an online program.
